Family Update
My mother and father-in-law have 14 grandkids, all living locally, so Thanksgiving is always quite an event. We’ll have somewhere between 25 and 30 people, which is a lot of potatoes by any standard. At this point, we have to host it outside, because none of our houses are big enough to contain this expanding tribe. As these grandchildren keep multiplying, it’s only a matter of time before we need a fairgrounds permit.
Senay is home for Thanksgiving, which makes us so happy. She went line dancing last night in cowboy boots and said it was a blast. Apparently, it brings people of all ages and personality types together.
She and I put up the Christmas tree, though we haven’t decorated it yet. We try to do that as a family, but prying three teenage boys out of their rooms at the same time is… ambitious.
We also managed to get everyone together to pick out a new family room couch, which is no small accomplishment. Trying to find something that fits everyone’s preferences, size, shape, fabric, and softness has been a year-long quest. But yesterday we finally hit the jackpot, and the whole crew agreed on one. It should arrive before Christmas. I’m already envisioning it as my sanctuary for years to come… unless the dogs decide to pee on it again.
As we roll into Thanksgiving week, as I am a money nerd, I always end up going down strange financial rabbit holes. This year’s obsession? How money actually worked back in 1621. Spoiler Alert: They did not have 401(k)s.
Pilgrim Side
•Coins were scarce. Most payments were bartered with corn, beaver pelts, or tobacco.
•Each colony used different "currencies": wampum in Plymouth, British coins in Massachusetts, tobacco in Virginia.
•Wampum (shell beads) was so standardized that colonists used it to pay taxes.
•Big families weren’t a financial burden; kids were literally the labor force. When Bobby popped out, Dad only saw dollar signs.
•The Mayflower voyage was funded by English investors who expected future profits (they got almost nothing back).
•Winter shortages caused instant "inflation" when mice ate corn supplies.
•Early estate planning? A handwritten note passing down land, tools, or livestock.
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Native American Side
•• Native tribes ran continent-wide trade networks moving copper, shells, obsidian, buffalo products, and more.
•Wealth often lived in skills: hunting, farming, tool-making, herbal medicine, and reputation.
•Many tribes engaged in routine warfare, and military strength shaped control of hunting grounds and trade routes.
•Land wasn’t privately owned, but tribes continually fought to control fertile fields, fishing spots, and water access.
•Warfare often disrupted the economy by destroying crops, displacing villages, or cutting off trade.
•Wealth often existed in the form of slaves. Captives from rival tribes could be forced into labor or traded.
So, thankfully, children are no longer viewed as the family’s main economic engine. Well, actually, it's kind of the opposite now. Maybe the old way was better.
Be Blessed,
Dave